Southern Gospel News SGNScoops Digital

Beyond the Song: The Hyssongs sing There is a God

Beyond the Song by Jantina Baksteen featuring The Hyssongs

I caught up with Richard Hyssong of popular trio, the Hyssongs, to talk about their new radio song, “There Is God.” I love the family blend on this song. My first comment to Richard was, “Is this a Shane Roark song?” True story! Enjoy this interview. 

Jantina Baksteen: “There is a God,” is your third release to radio after “Choose Life,” and, “God Says You Can,” off of your latest project, Pressing On. Those three titles that are uplifting by themselves. What is the story behind this album?

Richard Hyssong: Our family has recorded at Chapel Valley with producer, Shane Roark, for about sixteen years. When we started working on our CD, Pressing On, our goal was to pick songs that would encourage people. It seems like the world is filled with hopelessness and the only one that will give us hope is Jesus Christ. We do not have a travelling ministry for awards or accolades, but we just found out that this CD was just nominated as one of the top 10 albums of the year.

We feel really blessed at how well our first single off this album has done. “God Says You Can,” has been on the charts for seven consecutive months. When we first heard this song, written by Matthew Lawson, we knew we had to record it. Phil 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”  Many are called but due to self doubt, or others doubting them, they do not act on that calling. We need to remember that when God says you can, there is nothing you cannot do!

Prior to that we released “Choose Life,” which was the No. 1 song in Southern gospel last fall. That song was recorded about seven years ago. We decided to send the song to radio due to the timing of what was happening world wide. The song has three powerful verses, and each verse has a story. We knew that the messages needed to be heard, and people’s lives were changed. Michael Frost, the writer of the song has actually sent us another single that we cannot wait for everyone to hear later in 2020.

JB: Shane Roark is the writer of this powerful song, “There is a God.” Did Shane write it especially for this project?

RH: “There is a God,”, written by Shane, is our brand new radio release. It was written as a response to those that question and deny that God exists. When we were in the song selection stage of our new album, we discussed the state of our world. This song seemed to keep coming up, and there was no doubt we needed to record it. The song seems to be perfect for today as people are questioning everything.

JB: What is the message in this song?

RH: At this point, the world is dealing with Covid 19. As a full time music ministry, there is no income due to churches and venues being closed. In fact, as of right now, no one knows how this will effect world economically. So for me, this song has a deeper meaning. We know that God will take care of us regardless of what happens. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and as the song says “There is a God, He knows my name.” I believe that with all my heart.

JB: I know you have an amazing testimony to share of your daughter, Mckayla. Can you share some of that with the readers?

RH: Most people know that our daughter, Makayla, was born with twenty-two tumors in her heart, and masses of brain tumors. She was just three days old when they discovered her physical issues. My wife, Kelly, and I were told that she would most likely not survive, and that if she did, she would never walk or talk. People all over the world prayed for her and today, she is eleven years old, and doing fantastic. All of her heart tumors are completely gone and she is doing great!

JB: When you look back to that time and that trial with your family, how does that mesh with the message in this song? 

RH: Going through that with our daughter has shown us the power of God. There is no doubt in our minds that “There is a God.”

JB: You travel as a family. How does it feel to spend so much time together?

RH: It is a little different travelling with your family. We have three generations in one vehicle, which can be quite interesting at times, however, we do get along quite well. 

JB: Can you share a funny story that happened on the road? How many dates do you do in a year?

RH: Our family typically performs 225 – 250 concerts and services per year. Each year it seems like we are busier than the year prior. 

Funny story: If you spend anytime with our family, you know we love to laugh. The first year at NQC, we were invited to do a TV interview. We were told that the program was called Daystar. Our time slot was at 8:00 p.m., and we needed to be there 10 minuted prior to sign some paper work. When we arrived at the Daystar network booth, they had no idea who we were or who had scheduled us. I typically do not push, but I felt that they made a huge mistake and had scheduled others and pushed us out. They informed the Booth Brothers that they had made a mistake, and needed to slide the Hyssongs (who nobody knew back then) in their spot. We did the interview and had a great time. Once we were done, we headed toward our booth. As we were walking back another man came up to us and was very upset with us. He informed my family that he was waiting to record us, and that he hosted a TV show with same name, Daystar, but not on that network. What are the chances! Talk about humiliating, however we got on both networks and shows!

The Hyssongs family

JB: Makayla is does an awesome job together with you on stage. Does she have the passion to follow in your footsteps?

RH: I love having our daughter sing a few songs with us at each concert. At this point, I am not sure what she will do in the future. Of course, I would love to have her and our son continue being a part of our ministry in some capacity. However, we want them to make those decisions and follow God’s leading. They both have some great gifts and it will be fun to see what the future has in store for each of them.

Please enjoy this video, as the Hyssongs sing, “There is a God!”

Special thanks to Richard Hyssong for chatting with us on Beyond the Song. You can find out more about the Hyssongs HERE.

Registered “Radio 101” Class To Be Offered at Creekside

How can I get my song on the radio?

This is an indirect question — it sounds like an easy question , and on the surface, there is a straightforward answer.

To get your song played on the radio, either you or your Radio Promotion Company approaches program directors/music directors at radio stations, promotes your song to them using a combination of phone calls and faxes, press releases, and emails. Then the stations that are interested in the song will play it and the ones that aren’t won’t. Sounds pretty easy, right?

The truth is that radio promotion is anything but easy.

Tiffany Noecker from Daywind, Vonda Armstrong from Hey Y’all Media, and Richard Hyssong from Premier Promotions will be teaching “Radio 101”  for groups that have a song at radio or are considering Radio Promotion in the future.

This class will be available at Creekside Gospel Music Convention 2019 on Monday, October 28th at 2:00 pm at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center In the main hall.

Fee: $25 per person

Sign up HERE or below:

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Meet the Writer: Michael Jason Frost discusses “Choose Life” by the Hyssongs

The Hyssongs

Have you had an experience where you had to convince someone to “Choose Life”? Have you personally faced this choice? The Hyssongs’ new song came from a very personal place for writer Michael Jason Frost.

Here are the lyrics, followed by a video interview with Richard Hyssong, as Michael gives his testimony behind the song…

Michael Jason Frost

Choose Life
(Michael Jason Frost / Morning Frost Music / BMI)

1)
There’s a woman crying softly, a heavy heart and worried mind
As she wonders how she’ll care for this precious unborn child
Somebody said to her you have a choice, in this day and time
But in spite of her uncertainties, the choice becomes clear in her mind

(Chorus)
She chooses life, full and abundant, a precious gift from Heaven above
Life, in spite of all of its trials, is God’s manifestation of marvelous love
When it seems there’s no other choice you can find,
Remember God created us to prosper and thrive,
The choice becomes clear every time,
Choose life

2)
There’s a man crying softly, a heavy heart and a worried mind
As he ponders a decision to give up, and end it all this time
Somebody said to him you have a choice, find the strength inside
In spite of all his uncertainties, the choice becomes clear in his mind

(Chorus)
He chooses life, full and abundant, a precious gift from Heaven above
Life, in spite of its trials, is God’s manifestation of marvelous love
When it seems there’s no other choice you can find,
Remember God created us to prosper and thrive,
The choice becomes clear every time,
Choose life

3)
There’s a world crying softly, with heavy hearts and worried minds
We’ve forgotten there’s abundant life, through Jesus Christ
We all have a choice before we leave this world behind
Jesus is life, so now is the time to decide

(Chorus)
Choose life, full and abundant, a precious gift from Heaven above
Life, in spite of all of its trials, is God’s manifestation of his marvelous love
When it seems there’s no other choice you can find,
Remember God created us to prosper and thrive,
The choice is clear this time,
Choose life

We hope you enjoy this song as sung by the Hyssongs.

For more Gospel Music news, read the latest SGNScoops Magazine HERE

Special Edition of “Strictly Southern With Vonda Armstrong” – With Guests , The Hyssongs… Tune in Wednesday 4-10-19

Join Vonda Armstrong tomorrow, April 10th from 12:00 Noon- 1:oo Pm (CST) for a “special Interview” with The Hyssongs.

The Hyssongs current radio single, “Choose Life” is making a strong statement at radio stations nationwide.

The Hyssongs

“Choose Life has three verses that each speak to current events,” Hyssong explains. “The first verse deals with the hot topic of abortion. More recently it is being suggested that a mother can have a child, and after the baby is born the mother and doctor will discuss whether to keep the child or not. This is not a cultural or political issue, it is a biblical issue. The song strongly states, ‘Choose Life.'”

Richard continues, “The second verse deals with the subject of suicide. All of us probably have known people who have contemplated or have even take their own lives. Many are hopeless, yet we know the One who gives us hope. Again, we ‘Choose Life.'”

“The third verse is about accepting or rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We again, ‘Choose Life’ and accept Christ,” concludes Richard.

This song is of extreme personal importance to the Hyssongs. Richard tells us why the song is such an extension of their lives.

“Our daughter was born over ten years ago. She was born with twenty-two tumors in and around her heart. She also had a massive amount of brain tumors a well. After she was born, the doctor said that she would most likely not survive, and if she did, she would never walk or talk. Many would have suggested that it would have been good to abort her, but we chose life! Today she is perfectly normal,” he exalts.

The group chose this song as their radio single because of its timely message.

You can tune in to the show via Facebook live , listen at 91.7 FM, or stream at www.wpilfm.com.

Beyond the Song: the Hyssongs sing “Choose Life”

The Hyssongs

Jantina de Haan once again goes Beyond the Song to talk with Richard Hyssong about “Choose Life,” from the album, “Believe.” Richard sings with his parents, Dell and Susan, in the popular trio, the Hyssongs. “Choose Life” is their recent radio single and its words resonate deeply with the group.

“Choose Life has three verses that each speak to current events,” Hyssong explains. “The first verse deals with the hot topic of abortion. More recently it is being suggested that a mother can have a child, and after the baby is born the mother and doctor will discuss whether to keep the child or not. This is not a cultural or political issue, it is a biblical issue. The song strongly states, ‘Choose Life.'”

Richard continues, “The second verse deals with the subject of suicide. All of us probably have known people who have contemplated or have even take their own lives. Many are hopeless, yet we know the One who gives us hope. Again, we ‘Choose Life.'”

Rob Patz and Richard Hyssong of the Hyssongs

“The third verse is about accepting or rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. We again, ‘Choose Life’ and accept Christ,” concludes Richard.

This song is of extreme personal importance to the Hyssongs. Richard tells us why the song is such an extension of their lives.

“Our daughter was born over ten years ago. She was born with twenty-two tumors in and around her heart. She also had a massive amount of brain tumors a well. After she was born, the doctor said that she would most likely not survive, and if she did, she would never walk or talk. Many would have suggested that it would have been good to abort her, but we chose life! Today she is perfectly normal,” he exalts.

The group chose this song as their radio single because of its timely message.

We hope you enjoy this video of the Hyssongs singing, “Choose Life.” Thanks to Jantina de Haan for going Beyond the Song.

For more Gospel Music news, read the latest SGNScoops Magazine HERE

“25 Days of Sharing” – Richard Hyssong

December is a time for sharing. At Christmas, we (Christians) celebrate The Greatest Gift of All, Jesus Christ.

Over the next few weeks we will be talking with many industry leaders, artists, pastors, promoters, etc. and asking them questions.  They will “share” the answer to the question in 10 seconds or less. We are asking for their best advice on many different topics.

Question number 5 goes to Richard Hyssong Of The Hyssongs..

Richard, your family is from Maine? Some would say that’s a non-geographic “southern gospel” area. In other words, not a lot of southern gospel music in Maine. So, what advice would you give someone from an area like Maine that is wanting to get into singing gospel music?

Chapel Valley Hosts #1 Celebration For The Hyssongs

Chapel Valley Hosts #1 Celebration For The Hyssongs

Sharps Chapel, TN — Chapel Valley was honored to host a celebration last weekend for The Hyssongs to honor their second consecutive #1 song on national charts, including the SGNScoops’ Top 100 for January 2018.

“I Tell Them Jesus” was written and arranged by Chapel Valley President Shane Roark. Dell Hyssong shared, “We have sung many songs written by Shane. They have all been great, but by far, “I Tell Them Jesus” has made the most impact on our listeners.

Guests of honor from all over the country attended this special dinner party to celebrate with The Hyssongs. Rob Patz, Publisher of SGNScoops and CEO of Coastal Media Group, presented the group with a plaque recognizing their No. 1 song in SGNScoops’ Top 100. Also attending was Vonda Easley, Advertising and Social Media head of SGNScoops, and owner of Hey Y’all Media.

Rob Patz presenting the Hyssongs with plaque recognizing their No. 1 song in SGNScoops Top 100

Richard shared from his heart, “Many from the Gospel music industry attended the celebration party. We are honored to call them friends. A major part of the event was to recognize those that are behind-the-scenes. The musicians are sometimes forgotten, however, we know that without them our albums would not be the same. It was neat to have them come forward individually and receive a plaque recognizing their amazing, God-given talents.”

The Hyssongs’ previous radio single “Let the Hallelujahs Ring,” written by Lee Black and Kenna Turner West, topped the SGNScoops’ Top 100 in July of 2017.

The Hyssongs have been singing together as a family for more than 21 years. They travel the United States and abroad sharing the Gospel, singing and playing their instruments for the glory of God.

“This was an unforgettable evening and a joy to spend it with so many friends. We appreciate them coming and celebrating our #1 song with us,” said Susan Hyssong. Congratulations to Dell, Susan, and Richard Hyssong!

We know you will enjoy this video:

Source: Chapel Valley/Marcie Gray

 

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Chapel Valley thanks Media for a great Year

Chapel Valley celebrates media and DJs during NQC

This morning, Thursday, September 28, Chapel Valley Music Group brought DJs and media together for a celebratory breakfast. This NQC tradition is always highly anticipated  by media and radio personalities.

Chapel Valley thanks Media for a great Year

Shane Roark and Richard Hyssong from Chapel Valley engaged the crowd in food, fun, and fellowship.

Participants enjoyed an extensive buffet breakfast as well as games and prizes.

Coastal Media CEO Rob Patz, owner of SGNScoops and WPIL FM, and DJ of Highway 9, along with Vonda Easley from WPIL FM, were invited to join in the festivities.

Easley and Patz were presented with special Tennessee ball caps as they were from out-of-state. Patz, from Seattle, is usually noted as the personality who has traveled the farthest to attend NQC and this major annual event.

Patz noted, “It is always enjoyable to attend the breakfast put on by Shane and Richard. We really appreciate the Chapel Valley folks. Plus, they always give away cool stuff. Thanks so much guys from SGNScoops and WPIL FM.”

For the latest issue of SGNScoops magazine click here

For more gospel music news click here.

For online gospel music click here.

You can believe the Hyssongs: Family Matters

The Hyssongs

The Hyssongs have watched their latest album, Believe Me, be accepted and applauded by the Gospel music audience, taking three of their songs to the top 10 in the music charts. After 20 years, Dell, Susan and their son, Richard, say that hard work along with encouragement from Chapel Valley has boosted their sound up the charts.

Dell Hyssong

“The real reason for our recent recognition and success is God’s hand of blessing upon us,” says Richard. “We are humbled and thankful for all the ways the Lord has led us step by step.
“Radio has really embraced our family and our sound. Whether it is the brass that we use, the live strings, or the sounds of fiddle and steel guitar, they have accepted it all.”
It has been a year since Believe Me was released and reviewed by Randall Hamm in SGNScoops January 2016 issue. Hamm wrote, “Believe me, if you do not have a CD of the Hyssongs in your collection, this is the one to start with. It includes 10 great songs of faith, hope, love and belief, from the upbeat, ‘I’ve Got A Love,’ from the pen of Steve Dunlap and Russell Balway, that will you will be humming and singing long after the track ends; to the last track, the classic ‘The King Is Coming,’ that will have you saying, ‘Come quickly Lord.’”

Read more »

Richard Hyssong newest member of SGMA Board

Richard Hyssong of The Hyssongs 

Southern Gospel Music Association Welcomes Richard Hyssong To Board Of Directors

Pigeon Forge, TN (December 21, 2015) – The Southern Gospel Music Association (SGMA) and the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame Museum announce that Richard Hyssong of The Hyssongs has joined the SGMA Board of Directors.

The announcement was made from the SGMA Hall of Fame Museum located in Pigeon Forge as the result of a special election by SGMA Board of Directors last week.

Arthur Rice, President of the SGMA said, “Richard Hyssong brings youth and fresh leadership to the SGMA.  We believe Richard brings a valuable perspective to the mission of preserving the Southern Gospel Music legacy in order to encourage the next generation to be bold in their stand for leading souls to Christ”.

Hyssongs

Richard Hyssong is a gifted musician who shares the stage with his parents in forming The Hyssongs.  Their ministry is well known for family vocals and brass instruments.

The Southern Gospel Hall of Fame Museum is a centerpiece of Dollywood, an entertainment complex located at the base of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Visitors to Dollywood will find the Hall of Fame Museum just inside the main entrance.  Along with educational exhibits, a gift shop offers patrons an opportunity to purchase items to encourage their faith.

The SGMA invites everyone to demonstrate support by becoming an SGMA partner.  Partnerships can be obtained at the Hall of Fame Museum or online.

For more information on the Southern Gospel Music Association, visit sgma.org

For more information on the Hyssongs visit theHyssongs.com

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